Praline brunch toast is Mom's Day treat

So what is a “real” bread pudding and “not-quite” a bread pudding? I’d say if it walks like a duck…

Traditional bread puddings have been made with chunks of bread, eggs, a milk product, a sweetener or not, some flavoring, and whatever else suits your fancy – from the ever popular raisins and cinnamon, to more innovative choices such as plums, apricots, and any kind of chocolate your heart desires. Or for a savory bread pudding, some asparagus and Boursin.

And sometimes we don’t chop up the bread, but leave it in slices, such as in today’s recipe for Praline Brunch Toast that I found in the Junior League of Tampa cookbook, The Life of the Party. We’re thinking this would make a wonderful Mother’s Day dish, maybe even for ‘breakfast in bed.’ Just add a small vase of colorful flowers on the breakfast tray, some good coffee, and a few pieces of fresh fruit such as sliced oranges or strawberries for a lovely morning meal.

One of the nice things about this recipe is that you can assemble all the ingredients the night before (and hide them somewhere in the fridge if it’s going to be a surprise), then bake the dish in the morning. I actually make up the entire dish, including the brown sugar-pecan mixture with the bread slices on top, and refrigerate it overnight. Also, it makes a big panful, so there will be enough to go around for the rest of the family too.

Today we’re going to add a new category to the recipes list on the sidebar: “Almost a Bread Pudding,” for those dishes such as this one that contain most of the usual suspects, but with some variation on the bread pudding theme, such as sliced bread instead of cubed.

Here’s to a great Mom’s day celebration!

PRALINE BRUNCH TOAST
(from the Junior League of Tampa cookbook, The Life of the Party)

8 eggs
1-1/2 cups half & half
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 thick slices sourdough bread
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Beat eggs and half & half in small bowl. Whisk in 1 tablespoon brown sugar and vanilla. Pour 1/2 of egg mixture into 9x13-inch baking dish. Arrange bread slices in dish, trimming crusts to fit if necessary. Pour remaining egg mixture over bread. Chill, covered, for several hours or overnight.

Melt butter in another 9x13-inch baking dish. Stir in 3/4 cup brown sugar and syrup. Sprinkle pecans over bottom. Place egg-soaked bread slices carefully on top of pecans. Pour remaining egg mixture over bread. Bake in preheated 350-degree-F. oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until bread is light brown and puffed.
To serve, invert toast onto plates and spoon pecans from bottom of dish over the toast. Serves 8.

Mom liked her bread pudding best

When you’ve got a good thing going, you don’t want to mess with it. Such as my mom’s bread pudding, for example, the one I grew up with, custardy in the middle and crusty on top. And full of those plump raisins that you’d bite into with each spoonful. It had a hint of cinnamon too, and sometimes she’d serve it with real whipped cream on top. Or with a lemon sauce made with fresh lemons, none of that stuff that comes in a piece of yellow plastic.

I wonder what she’d think of these “modern” bread puddings that you find in trendy restaurants – made with chocolate and nuts and ‘exotic’ fruits such as blueberries and pineapple. And topped with sauces made with bourbon or rum.

Granted, I’ve gravitated over to the ‘dark side,’ when making my own puddings, often adding whatever I can find on my shelf – such as granola, cranberries, caramel, bananas, chocolate syrup, coffee, and pumpkin. Because I create and bake so many different types of bread puddings, I often ask friends and neighbors to be taste testers. Many are traditionalists, like my neighbor, Eric, who fondly remembers his mom’s own bread pudding, and was a little skeptical of the one I brought over containing chocolate and cherries. My other neighbor, Gail, however, was delighted with my pumpkin rum raisin BP, which she rated an “Eleven.”

But it all began with mom. She taught me about bread pudding. Here’s her tried and true recipe. It’s very custardy, so if you’d like a denser bread pudding, just increase the bread to liquid ratio. Thanks, mom.


MOM’S HOMESTYLE BREAD PUDDING

2 to 3 slices day-old white bread, buttered and cubed
1/2 cup raisins
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or to taste)
2 cups milk, scalded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine bread cubes and raisins in buttered 1-1/2-quart baking dish, or 8- or 9-inch square pan. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon. Add hot milk slowly, stirring to mix well. Pour over bread mixture. Set baking dish in shallow pan of hot water. Bake about 60 minutes, or until pudding is firm and browned on top. Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with whipped cream, warm chocolate sauce, or lemon sauce. Serves 6-8.

Mother's Day Bread Pudding bakes in slow cooker

We’ll have the whole gang coming here for Mother’s Day. At the last count the guest list numbered fourteen, with the possibility of even more warm bodies. And as a mom of three and a grandmom of six, I’m working on a menu that will include easy dishes to make ahead.

So why aren’t we just going out and giving Mom/Grandmom a break, you ask? Hmm, well uh, I volunteered for this party, and with everyone chipping in to bring something, it will be a bit more relaxing (did I really say that?) than going out to a restaurant with the baby and toddler set.

Of course, one of the menu items will be a bread pudding. Something light and with a citrus scent for a touch of spring. I’ve decided to make an Orange Marmalade Bread Pudding in the slow cooker. Sitting in its own little corner of the kitchen counter, leaving the oven free to bake other dishes. This BP takes about two hours, more or less, as it puffs up and fills the house with a delectable aroma.

As a variation, you could substitute other thick-textured jams such as peach or strawberry for the marmalade. For my money, though you can’t beat the orange citrus scent. Try adding a handful of chopped nuts, perhaps macadamias, for some extra crunch.

ORANGE MARMALADE BREAD PUDDING (Slow Cooker)

Butter or cooking spray
5 to 6 cups white or egg bread, cut into cubes
1-1/4 cups orange marmalade
1 cup whole milk
1 cup half & half
1/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

Coat bottom and sides of slow cooker with butter or cooking spray. Place bread cubes in cooker. Pour marmalade over bread and stir to combine. In bowl, whisk together milk, half & half, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and Grand Marnier. Pour mixture over bread. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until puffed up and fully cooked in center. Serve warm topped with whipped cream, ice cream, or topping. Serves 8.